Wine has a praiseworthy past as it carries more than 5000 years of history. That’s why it’s so important to consume it the best way possible. In order for this to happen, you should do a little and simple ritual called “decanting the wine”.
What does decant mean
Decanting wine is not as difficult as it seems. However, some training is needed so it can be done properly. The process consists in pouring the wine gradually from its original bottle into another container named decanter, normally a crystal one. This technique is mostly used for red wines, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be used for other types.
Why to decant
There are two main reasons for decanting wine. Firstly, it separates the sediment from the liquid, which is frequent in non-decanted and older wines. It also allows the wine to oxidise, letting it “breathe” and free the scents that were kept in the bottle.
To keep in mind
It’s not recommended to decant wine for a long time, because the risk of accelerating the oxidation process and loosing its best qualities is higher. You should place the bottle in the upright position two days before consuming so that the sediment fall to the bottom.
How to decant
Old red wine
You should decant about half an hour before serving the wine. To decant it, everything you need is a bottle, a candle or lamp and the decanter.
Firstly, open the bottle, clean its neck to take any type of residue away and put the candle close to the bottleneck. Then, pour the wine slowly and carefully into the decanter, watching closely if the sediment remains in the bottle.
Young red wine
When it comes to younger wines, decanting allows them to soften the tannins, which are normally dry and rough.
In order to decant them, you should pour the wine from the bottle with only one continuous move into the decanter. These wines have high levels of acidity since they haven’t had the time to mature. That’s why they need one or two hours to “breathe”.
